Volume 4 Number 3,
September 2018

South African feed sales are
showing signs of stabilising
after having faced several
challenges over the past three
to four years. It also recorded
a smaller than expected drop in sales for
the 2017/18 Animal Feed Manufacturers’
Association’s (AFMA) statistical year.

At a recent meeting of the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-26, it was concluded that the demand for grain, meat and fish is expected to grow at half the pace of the previous decade and equal to the global population growth of 1% per year.

The term ‘wicked’ weed is
borrowed from the field of
sociology where a wicked
problem is defined as one
without clear causes or
solutions, and thus difficult or impossible
to solve (Shaw, 2016, Weed Science: Special
Issue, pp 552-558). Herbicide resistance
is considered the epitome of a wicked
problem: “The causes are convoluted by
a myriad biological and technological
factors, and are fundamentally driven by
the vagaries of human decision-making.”

In the Southern Cape area canola
under irrigation has traditionally
not been able to compete with
wheat in respect of yield and
profitability. Yet canola has other
benefits making it an excellent
rotation crop in the region.

The normal recommendation
for canola plantings is to
ensure that there are at least
three years between plantings
in the same field. The main
reason for this recommendation is possible
disease problems. Within the Riversdal
crop rotation trials it was decided to
look at shorter planting periods over a
longer term, and specifically at yield and
its impact on the systems’ economy.

No other crop produces protein like
soya beans, in both quantity and
quality. It is therefore not surprising
that hectares planted with soya
and production continue to grow.
As with many high-protein crops,
soya beans are rich in potassium. It
is important to consider replacing
what soya beans remove.

The Access to Seeds Index, an
initiative funded by the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation
and the government of the
Netherlands, aims to encourage
seed companies to step up their efforts to
support smallholder farmer productivity.

Plant variety protection
legislation in South Africa and
many other countries allow for
‘farmer privilege’, i.e. a farmer’s
right to save and replant the
grain he produced as seed. For selfpollinated
crops (such as soya beans,
wheat and barley) where the offspring
(seed) is genetically identical to the parent,
this means that farmers only have to buy
seed once and can continue planting the
same variety in subsequent seasons.

Plant-parasitic nematodes of soya
beans decrease yield by reducing
root size and efficiencies, leading
to shorter roots. Infected plants
are stunted by various degrees
of yellowing. In South Africa, root-knot
nematodes (specifically Meloidogyne
incognita and Meloidogyne javanica) appear
to be more prevalent in certain soya bean
production areas.

The season’s initial dry start was
followed by good, widespread
rainfall over large parts of the
country. Although the good
rainfall had a positive effect on
the growth and development of several
crops, it also gave new life to many fungal
diseases, such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Sclerotinia diseases of soya bean
and sunflower have steadily
been increasing in severity and
distribution, with severe yield
losses reported for 2016 to 2018.
Since managing Sclerotinia is challenging,
researchers at the University of the Free
State (UFS) are set on finding solutions by
conducting producer-focused research.

As the trade fight between the
United States (US) and China
escalates, many agricultural
market participants have taken
comfort in the idea that China
cannot fulfil its soya bean needs
without importing massive
quantities of the US product.

In the global context of soya
beans, the markets are still
mainly focused on China and
the US – two countries that
are largely dependent on each
other in terms of soya beans.
China now imports much less
soya beans from the US due to
tariffs on imports following the
trade war between these two
countries. China imports most of
its soya beans from other origins,
especially from South America.

There is a general sense of
optimism in the South African
maize market after the good
rains received in April. The
United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) increased its previous
estimate for South Africa’s 2018/19
maize production to 13,2 million* tons,
depending on the expected higher
yields in some parts of the country.

In May 2018, the National
Support Centre for Agriculture
in Poland (Krajowy Ośrodek
Wsparcia Rolnictwa – KOWR)
hosted a tour for international
media to introduce them to the
country’s agricultural and food
industries. This annual tour
is meant to promote Poland’s
high-quality agricultural export
products.

Equality before the law and access
to the courts are part of the
Charter of Fundamental Rights
contained in the Constitution of
the Republic of South Africa, 1996
(Act 108 of 1996). It has been shrouded
in controversy since the democratic
changes in South Africa, because a claim or
exercising of these rights are inaccessible
for many people.